This could well be the first faux pas by Nicolas Sarkozy as
president-in-office of the European Council. The remarks made on 15 July
in Paris by the French head of state - at a private meeting with UMP
members of parliament he said the Irish would have to vote again on the
Lisbon Treaty, rejected by them on 12 June (see Europolitics 3574) -
could have a negative impact in Ireland.

Prime Minister Brian Cowen has tried to minimise the matter,
stating on 16 July: "We have to recognise that there are a lot of
opinions expressed in Europe on the problems facing us after
rejection" of the treaty. According to the Irish Times, however,
the prime minister is suppressing his anger because those in the
Taoiseach's inner circle are furious in the run-up to
Sarkozy's visit to Dublin, on 21 July. The Elysee continues to say
that the aim of the president's visit to Dublin is to
"listen," but not everyone is convinced. "We do not
intend to be intimidated by anyone. We are going to study the problem
from an Irish perspective, in terms of what is best for Ireland's
interests," commented Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin. In
the Sinn Fein, the only party that supported the no' in the
referendum, the French president's position is seen as "deeply
insulting". Even the opposition Labour Party, which campaigned for
approval of the treaty, says Sarkozy has "made a serious
faux-pas".

In Paris, the president's advisers are trying to be
diplomatic. Noting that this was a private meeting, they acknowledge
that a possible solution would be to ask the Irish to vote again when
the time comes, but "probably not on the same text, perhaps on one
with exceptions".

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